Thursday, September 22, 2016

Dayton, OH native M Ross Perkins has been taping himself at home for
well over a decade. But on his newest self-titled debut effort, he's
truly hit his stride in crafting effortless California psych grooves
seasoned with British invasion guitars - and all with an achingly
tuneful voice recalling Nilsson & Lennon. Clever lyrics and
atmosphere for days.

Perkins has an interesting, if not peculiar
past. His childhood home was on Dayton’s legendary Titus Avenue, five
houses up from The Snake Pit, the basement studio of Robert Pollard
(Guided By Voices). His early material was discovered in 2007 by the
band MGMT, who offered a touring support slot at the peak of their
breakout success. But Perkins declined the shows due to anxiety. He
worked as Buffalo Killers' roadie for their tours opening for The Black
Crowes, and not long after ceremoniously burned an enormous back catalog
of his recorded material during an intense LSD binge.

It's
little wonder then that for this release the influences of both
psychedelic drugs and psych acts (such as Os Mutantes, Syd Barrett and
The Beatles circa Magical Mystery Tour) would play heavily next to the
sumptuous '70s songcraft of the likes of Emitt Rhodes and Harry Nilsson.
Perkins' enigmatic and eccentric personality peers through these 12
organic and often hallucinogenic pop gems: songs that surely would've
had the A&R reps at Apple Records feverishly scrambling for pen
& signing papers back in '72.

Perkins plays every instrument
on this new record with no additional performing personnel, and also
mixed and engineered the album himself in his home studio.